Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza, a religious scholar, has been placed under 30-day detention by Jhelum police under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance due to allegedly offensive remarks.Officials confirmed that he was taken into custody early Tuesday and later shifted to jail.
According to Jhelum Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Meesam Abbas and District Police Officer Ahmed Mohiyuddin, the action was carried out in line with MPO provisions that allow authorities to detain individuals considered a threat to public safety or peace.
Muhammad Ali Mirza, who resides in Machine Mohallah, Jhelum, is widely known for his lectures shared online. His official YouTube channel has gained more than 3.1 million subscribers, making him one of the most-followed scholars on social media.
Authorities said the arrest came after a petition was filed by a religious group accusing him of making controversial remarks during a recent interview that circulated widely on social media. A day earlier, several religious delegations had met with the district administration and urged legal action against him.
This is not the first time the cleric has faced restrictions. Last year, during Muharram, he was among 17 clerics whose speeches were banned by the then-Jhelum administration to prevent possible sectarian unrest. In March 2021, he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt at the Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza Academy, where police arrested the attacker and registered a case of attempted murder.
Earlier, in May 2020, Engr Muhammad Ali Mirza was also booked by Jhelum police on allegations of making derogatory remarks against certain religious figures, though he was later granted bail.
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Officials from the district administration emphasized that his current detention was aimed at maintaining peace and ensuring public order in the city.
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